As cliché as it sounds, I can’t believe we are well into May. This year has been the Year of Joy. And I don’t mean everything has gone according to plan and fit in a box, tied up with a pretty bow.
But God has been teaching me about his joy and how it flows from letting go and laying down and waiting and watching and serving and giving and loving and forgiving. I’m noticing joy in a way I haven’t before. I know deep in my soul that joy doesn’t equate to happiness, but it does leave us peace that passes all understanding.
Joy is a choice. {Tweet that.}
Philippians 4:4 :: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”
Joy doesn’t dictate our circumstances, but instead determines our attitude.
James 1:2-3 :: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
Romans 15:13 :: “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
I don’t get it right all the time, that’s for sure. But I’m so grateful I have these truths to come back to again and again.
My #choosingJOY list on my phone is growing as I count the joys I notice in my everyday life. Some days I’m more in tune to my list – and the joys themselves. Regardless, joy abounds when I slow my mind and notice, even if there is chaos around me. Joy comes even on the hard days because God is there too. I hear about joy in songs and see it in my kids.
259. Multiple walks outside this week. … 261. Stolen moments of quiet. 262. Winning a book I’ve been wanting to read. 263. Crystal Light Grape Drink! 264. A spring day in a stretch of days that felt like summer. … 272. Walking and playing in the rain.
Joy is a tiny word but a mighty concept – and one I want more of in my life. {Tweet that.}
I’m linking up with Mary Carver’s Works For Me Wednesday because choosing joy works for me!
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I Choose Joy!
Hello Kristin, how have you been?
Thanks for the link up today.
Many Blessings to you
I absolutely adore that picture of your son bringing your flowers, Kristin. That face is too cute! I've found a lot of peace in learning I don't have to be happy to find joy. As a common sufferer of depression, I always thought happiness and joy were the same and would forever evade me. As I allow more joy in my life, I often get the added bonus of happiness :). I love this: "Joy is a choice." I'm definitely tweeting that!
Joy in a choice- yes! Choosing it today. Choosing Him today.
I don't get it right all of the time either, but I'm choosing joy with you. Thanks for these words- your place is always a source of encouragement.
I just love your choosing joy journey! I just love YOU! Love that picture of your boy too. <3
I love seeing your smiling, sweet face here today. So grateful for your encouragement on this journey because it's been some of your words that have propelled me this way. Love you. xoxo
So grateful for your kind words, Karen. And I'm so glad you find encouragement here.
Glad to be on this journey with you, Katie! xoxo
"As I allow more joy in my life, I often get the added bonus of happiness." –> YES! That's so true. I'm encouraged by you! Thanks for being here.
So glad you're here, Ifeoma! Hope you're doing well..
Yes I am doing well thanks
You bless me. <3
Me too! Joy is a beautiful thing to savor and search after. And we find quite a bit of it right here in your sweet little slice of the web. Blessings to you friend!
You're so sweet, Tiffany! xoxo
Love this Kristin. Your son is adorable! I'm starting MF Fight Back with Joy this week. Having to fight back with joy right now in my situation and it's worth the fight.
Thanks, Melody! I've been wanting to read that book. I know it'll be a good one. Hope you're feeling better!
Last year was my Year of Joy – and it started out with my father passing away. Let me tell you, God proceeded to teach me more about HIS joy than I thought it possible to learn. I'm so glad that you're learning some of the same things – especially that joy is a choice, something we intentionally *do* even when life is unhappy and difficult.
GOD BLESS!
Love! 🙂 Thank you for the reminder to choose the joyful and to live in Joy. I love your pictures, they always make me smile!
Bless you!
Dawn
I love you being here, Dawn! xoxo
It's only May, and this choosing JOY is rocking my world, in a good way. 🙂 Thanks for your encouragement to keep choosing it, Sharon!
I LOVE this Kristen! I'm with you. I want more joy in my life. And if I understand the scriptures correctly, the key to it is living daily in light of gospel truth-"looking to the joy set before us"-A.K.A. our eternal fate with God the Father.
Heb 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
YES! I love those verses, especially remembering God is the creator and perfecter of our faith – it's because of what He did and does and doesn't depend on our own doing. Yet we can choose to continue seeking him and trusting him to know peace and joy more abundantly. Thanks for spurring on such encouragement, Christy!
I love this!! My word of the year was "Finish" because I start so many things and don't finish them, from books to Bible studies to cleaning up. With my back being bad it has been slow going but I am truly feeling blessed each week when I get to check another thing off the list! Praying you continue to find joy in all places!!